This week on Red Carpet, Africa Day celebrations! Also, the launch of new music label Def Jam Africa and we tell you who is on Essence magazine’s first Africa list, recognizing the continent’s most talented and inspirational people in music, sports, and more. And, a Congolese fashion designer gets creative in how she debuts her latest collection amid the Coronavirus pandemic. These stories and more on this week’s show.
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From the death of a black man in Minneapolis to a racist incident in Central Park, camera phones are increasingly being used as a weapon against racism even when justice doesn’t always follow.Two videos shot on smartphones spread from social media to mainstream media this week, highlighting how bystanders are now frequently capturing incidents that in the past may have gone unnoticed.It was a member of the public who filmed George Floyd grasping for breath as a white Minneapolis policeman pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for at least five minutes on Monday.Floyd went still and was later declared dead in hospital. Four police officers were fired from their jobs but remain free and the city has had three nights of angry protests.”If we did not have a video, would the officers have been fired as quickly?” Ibram Kendi, director of the American University’s anti-racism research center, asked in an interview with Democracy Now! “Would they have believed all of those witnesses who were looking at what was happening and who was the asking officers to stop?”In the second incident, a white woman falsely reported Christian Cooper, an avid birdwatcher, to police after he requested that she leash her dog in a wooded area of New York’s Central Park.”I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life,” she told Cooper as he filmed her dial 911 in a video that has been viewed over 43 million times on Twitter.Rodney KingIn February, Ahmaud Arbery — also African American — was shot and killed by two white residents while jogging in their neighborhood in Georgia.A third man, who was later also charged over Arbery’s death, filmed the murder, with the cellphone video sparking outrage when it was leaked onto social media earlier this month.The filming of such violent incidents is not new.Since the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police in 1991, which was filmed by an amateur cameraman, videos have frequently documented acts of racism across the United States.But in recent years the capturing of such incidents, with them subsequently going viral online and then being broadcast across major news networks, has becoming more systematic.”Here’s the sad reality,” tweeted Sen. Kamala Harris, a black former candidate to be the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.”What happened to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery & Christian Cooper has gone on for generations to Black Americans. Cell phones just made it more visible.”Katheryn Russell-Brown, director of the Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations at the University of Florida, said the videos remind us that “wherever people of color are there’s a vulnerability.”I would be hard pressed to think of cases involving Whites that show the same kind of instances of harm and assault particularly if we’re talking about law enforcement,” she told AFP.The increased use of police officers wearing body cameras while on duty over the past decade had raised hopes that the use of force against African Americans would fall.But after initial studies showed encouraging results, more in-depth reports found that “the cameras aren’t producing the reductions in use of force that were expected,” according to Urban Institute researcher Daniel Lawrence.Many forces allow officers to turn the cameras off whenever they want, while some have been accused of editing the images before making them public.’Torn apart’In the death of Eric Garner — by asphyxiation at the hands of a New York police officer in 2014 which sparked the nationwide “Black Lives Matter” movement — it was witnesses who filmed the incident, not police, like with Floyd’s death.”These videos that are published in public forms really do point to a kind of dysfunctionality in our criminal legal system,” said Russell-Brown.”It’s sort of suggesting that we need private citizens to make it necessary to watch public officers or people in public spaces to achieve justice or to at least raise the alarm bells about justice,” she added.Russell-Brown also notes that the presence of a camera often doesn’t prevent the act from being committed in the first place.Filming can also have major repercussions, with specialists warning of the risks of rushing to judgment on social networks.Within a day of the Central Park incident, Amy Cooper lost her job as vice president of a wealth management company, her anonymity and her dog amid a media storm.”I’m not excusing the racism. But I don’t know if her life needed to be torn apart,” said Christian Cooper, who is no relation to Amy.As powerful as videos may be, they mean little, if the law doesn’t run its course, say experts.”They got fired,” said Russell-Brown referring to the officers involved in Floyd’s death.”Is that enough? No. We have a dead person. So now we want the legal system to do what it’s supposed to do.” 
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The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Thursday said “no decision” had been taken regarding a U.S. push for an outside probe into its chief, accused by whistleblowers of ethics breaches.U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says Washington is dissatisfied with the outcome of an internal inquiry that has exonerated AfDB chief Akinwumi Adesina.The chair of the AfDB board, Niale Kaba, who is also Ivory Coast’s minister of development, said the panel met on Tuesday “to examine the issue emerging from a whistleblowers’ complaint” against Adesina.”No decision has been taken,” she said in a statement in French, countering what she said was information “falsely conveyed by certain media.”FILE – African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina gives a press conference in Ouagadougou, Sept. 13, 2019.On Wednesday, some press reports said the board had accepted Mnuchin’s request that it appoint “an independent outside investigator of high professional standing” to take an in-depth look at the complaint.In a 15-page document, the whistleblowers earlier this year charged that ethics breaches including personal enrichment and favoritism had spread under Adesina’s tenure.The AfDB’s ethics panel completely cleared Adesina after conducting its own investigation, saying the accusations “rested on no objective, solid facts.”Adesina is the first Nigerian to be in charge of the 56-year-old AfDB, one of the world’s five largest multilateral development banks.The 60-year-old former agriculture minister is known for his bow ties and flamboyant manner, but also for a managerial style that critics say is authoritarian.The bank was shaken by a string of departures after Adesina took the helm in 2015.Support for AdesinaNigeria, whose stake makes it the bank’s biggest shareholder, on Thursday threw its weight behind the embattled Adesina.”The call for an ‘independent investigation’ of the President is outside of the laid down rules, procedures” of the AfDB, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed said in a letter to Kaba.On Wednesday, Adesina issued a statement that insisted he was innocent, lashed the accusations as “trumped up” and vowed to continue working.Nigeria’s former president Olusegun Obasanjo also gave Adesina his support in a letter dated Tuesday, saying the U.S. treasury secretary had “ridiculed” the bank’s governance and urging African leaders to stand up.”If we do not rise up and defend the AfDB, this might be the end of the Afdb,” he said.Upcoming electionKaba said that “in no case has (Adesina) been asked to resign” — some media reports have sketched the possibility of a “withdrawal” from office by the bank chief, who is seeking a second term.He is the only candidate in an election which was set for late May but which has been postponed until August because of the coronavirus pandemic.In October 2019, the AfDB raised $115 billion (105 billion euros) in fresh capital, an operation deemed a personal success for Adesina.It is the only African institution which has a triple A rating by credit rating agencies.The bank has 80 state shareholders, 54 of which are African, while others are from the Americas, Asia and Europe. 
 
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Stocks on Wall Street closed down Thursday, ending a three-day winning streak, with investors bracing for possible trade sanctions against China over its tough new Hong Kong security law.The Dow Jones industrial average was 147.63 points lower. The S&P 500 fell 6.40 points, and the Nasdaq Composite Index was also down 43.37 points. All three were down less than 1%.The Chinese parliament rubber-stamped the new security measures for Hong Kong on Thursday.The Trump administration immediately declared that Hong Kong was no longer autonomous, now that it is virtually under Chinese control.The U.S. is one of Hong Kong’s leading trading partners and a large source of direct investment. Analysts say the U.S. decision could have a devastating effect on a thriving Asian financial hub.European markets showed no sign of the Hong Kong controversy. Major indexes in London and Frankfurt were up 1%, and Paris was about 1.75% higher.Asian markets also had a good day. Tokyo’s Nikkei index closed 2.32% higher, while Sydney’s S&P/ASX index posted a 1% gain. Shanghai was up a fraction, while Hong Kong was down a fraction.
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Національний банк України за підсумками торгів на українському міжбанківському валютному ринку встановив на 29 травня курс 26 гривень 91 копійка за долар, посиливши національну валюту на 9 копійок.

Днем раніше вперше за місяць регулятор встановив офіційний курс на рівні 27 гривень рівно.

За даними Finance.ua, торги на міжбанку завершилися на рівні 26 гривень 90–93 копійки за долар. Більшу частину сесії котирування були ще нижчими, 26 гривень 89–91 копійка за долар, впасти нижче американській валюті не дав НБУ, який викуповував надлишок пропозиції у свої резерви, вказують експерти сайту «Мінфін».
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U.S. House Democrats cancelled a scheduled vote on a controversial set of surveillance authorization measures Thursday, citing the threat of a presidential veto looming over their efforts to pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).“The Administration — particularly some in the Justice Department — would like nothing better than to not have a bill,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Thursday. “Without a bill, there would be none of the bill’s important protections for civil liberties. Without a bill, there would be all the leeway in the world not to protect Americans’ privacy. Clearly, because House Republicans have prioritized politics over our national security.”But the FISA bill, which had passed the Republican-majority U.S. Senate earlier this month in a bipartisan 80-16 vote, faced challenges from both parties when the Democratic-majority U.S. House added amendments.Changes in the House version caused the U.S. Department of Justice to withdraw support for the bill Wednesday, threatening a veto from President Donald Trump.“Given the cumulative negative effect of these legislative changes on the Department’s ability to identify and track terrorists and spies, the Department must oppose the legislation now under consideration in the House. If passed, the Attorney General would recommend that the President veto the legislation,” Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said in a statement.The law establishing procedures for surveillance of foreign powers or foreign agents has drawn criticism from defenders of civil liberties, who seek protections for American citizens who may be subject to unlawful searches.Senate Intelligence Committee member Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. questions CIA Director John Brennan on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 9, 2016.At issue was an amendment by Democratic Senator Ron Wyden that was defeated by just one vote in the U.S. Senate but added by Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren in the version under consideration in the House.“As the overwhelming bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate has demonstrated, Americans do not want the government looking at the websites they visit, the YouTube videos they watch and the internet searches they conduct without a warrant,” Wyden said in a statement Tuesday applauding the addition of the Lofgren amendment.“The House language protects U.S. persons with the same clear blanket prohibition provided by my Senate amendment. That means that it doesn’t matter if the government specifically intends to collect U.S. person records or not. Nor does the government get to decide when it is ‘reasonable’ to believe it is not collecting U.S. person records. If the person whose web browsing or internet searches are of interest could be a U.S. person, the collection is prohibited.”The shift by the DOJ follows a Trump tweet Tuesday night calling on House Republicans to vote against the bill.“I hope all Republican House Members vote NO on FISA until such time as our Country is able to determine how and why the greatest political, criminal, and subversive scandal in USA history took place!” Trump tweeted.President Donald Trump speaks at an event in the Rose Garden White House, May 26, 2020, in Washington.Trump has alleged the FISA program was used illegally to spy on members of his 2016 presidential campaign in a bid to prevent him from winning the presidency. He had already tweeted a veto threat relating to an earlier House-passed version of the bill this past March.A DOJ investigation found last year the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had committed errors in its investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election, including mistakes in an application to put former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page under surveillance. However, the investigation did not find any evidence of political bias as Trump alleges.“It was used for surveillance on Americans and every day we learn something more. Shouldn’t we take an opportunity to correct that? Lo and behold the Speaker is now coming to the same position I told them would be best a couple of days ago,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters Thursday.House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., speaks to reporters at his weekly news conference at the Capitol in Washington, July 25, 2019.McCarthy announced Republican opposition to the bill Wednesday, calling for more time to reach bipartisan consensus.“I’m interested in making sure the FISA court has reformed and able to sustain itself, that it’s looking at foreigners, not Americans,” McCarthy told reporters Wednesday.Progressive Democrats also reportedly had concerns about the legislation, spelling trouble for the bill attaining the numbers needed for passage.    Pelosi said Thursday lawmakers would continue to work on the legislation to insure it passes with a veto-proof majority.
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Health officials in the midwestern U.S. state of Wisconsin reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases Thursday, two weeks after the state Supreme Court struck down a state-wide stay-at-home order issued by the governor and enacted by the state health department. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 599 new known COVID-19 cases Wednesday, with 22 known deaths, the highest recorded daily rise since the pandemic began. The department reports the state had more than 16,460 known cases and 539 known deaths as of Wednesday. The previous state record number of new coronavirus cases was 528 a week earlier. The department also reported the state issued a record number of test results Wednesday with more than 10,300 tests conducted.  On May 13, in a 4-3 ruling, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the state’s stay-at-home order during the pandemic was “unlawful, invalid, and unenforceable” after finding that the state’s health secretary exceeded her authority. While some Wisconsin municipalities continued to enforce their own COVID-19-related restrictions, some bars and restaurants were filled with customers within hours of the ruling. Some local officials, including those in the cities of Milwaukee and Madison, have since instituted their own regulations. The order that was struck down had directed all people in the state to stay at home or at their places of residence, subject only to exceptions allowed by the health secretary, the ruling said. The order, which had been set to run until May 26, also restricted travel and business, along with threatening jail time or fines for those who didn’t comply.  
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Iran says a U.S. move to cancel the last remaining sanctions waivers from the 2015 nuclear agreement will not impact its nuclear work. A spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said in a statement Thursday that the Trump administration is trying to “distract public opinion” and that U.S. actions do not put pressure on Iran. FILE – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing at the State Department on May 20, 2020, in Washington.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday the sanctions waivers that allowed other countries to work on Iran’s civil nuclear projects without penalties would not be renewed. He said Iran had engaged in “nuclear brinkmanship” with its increased nuclear activities and that those actions would draw pressure and increased isolation from the world community. The United States withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018 and has applied several rounds of economic sanctions. Iran has complained that the other signatories, particularly Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, have not lived up to their pledges to help Iran get around the U.S. measures. FILE – In this photo released by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, technicians work at the Arak heavy water reactor’s secondary circuit as officials and media visit the site, near Arak., Dc. 23, 2019.It took successive actions against its promises in the deal, including boosting its stockpile of enriched uranium beyond agreed limits and enriching uranium to higher levels. The 2015 deal was meant to address accusations Iran was working to build a nuclear weapon, with the limits designed to keep Iran from having the materials necessary for that kind of program. Iran has said its nuclear program is only for civilian purposes such as power generation and medical research. 
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Markets in Europe are once again on the rise as investors continue to express optimism that the global economy is turning a corner from the coronavirus pandemic. The FTSE index in London is up 0.8% in midday trading.  The CAC-40 in Paris is up nearly one percent, and the DAX index in Frankfurt is 0.4% higher.   Asian markets also enjoyed an upswing Thursday after a shaky start.  Tokyo’s Nikkei index closed 2.3% higher, while Sydney’s S&P/ASX index posted a 1.3% gain, and Shanghai was 0.3% higher.   But Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 0.7% as China passed a controversial natural security law that critics say threatens the financial hub’s semi-autonomous status.  Seoul and Taiwan also posted slight losses.    Oil markets reversed course Thursday, with U.S. crude essentially unchanged at  $32.82 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, is $34.98 per barrel,  a rise of 0.6%.   China’s recent moves to tighten control over Hong Kong have raised diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Washington and subsequently rattled investors.  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday that the Trump administration no longer considers the global financial hub as autonomous from China, indicating the U.S. is considering suspending the preferential status that has made the city a top U.S. trading partner.     In futures trading, the Dow Jones is up 0.6% and the S&P 500 is 0.6.% higher, but the Nasdaq is down 0.4%, signaling uncertainty as investors brace for the latest U.S. unemployment figures.   
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The first major sporting competition in Australia is restarting Thursday after weeks of COVID-19 lockdown. The National Rugby League (NRL) has adopted strict biosecurity measures and has developed a health check app for players.Australia’s National Rugby League season was suspended on March 23 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 16-team competition kicks-off again Thursday with a match in Brisbane.It is another sign that life in Australia, which has contained the outbreak, is beginning to resemble what it was before the coronavirus crisis.Clubs and administrators have been eager to re-start the season for financial reasons, while for many fans it is another sweet taste of normality.Six venues will be used during what officials have described as “Phase 1” of the league’s resumption.  The stadiums were chosen because they were best equipped to meet biosecurity protocols.Commentator and former player Peter Sterling told Australian television that he is surprised the NRL has been able to resume so quickly.“I thought that it was the height of optimism that six weeks ago May 28 would be a starting date for us because we knew that there were going to be so many obstacles,” he said. “You know, obviously we have done a great job of flattening that curve and getting it down to a stage where we can start to interact. But that was a long way away six weeks ago, so it has been remarkable leadership, and I guess the great thing for our game is the fact we are leading the way.”Games will initially be played in empty stadiums, but the Australian Medical Association has criticized the league’s plan to have crowds back by July, labeling it “absurd” and “dangerous.”The Australian Rules Football League, another of the country’s dominant professional sports, has said its matches will start again on June 11. There is no definite date for professional soccer matches to resume as the easing lockdown restrictions, including the reopening of schools, cafes, and places of worship, gradually continues.The men’s Twenty20 World Cup cricket competition is due to be held in Australia starting October 18. It is unclear if it will go ahead because of the pandemic.Australia has had just over 7,100 known cases of COVID-19.  As of Thursday, 103 people had died.    
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